Pork belly spot by Sillim Station with acorn jelly soup: Sillim Hwaro

What kind of restaurant is Sillim Hwaro near Sillim Station?

Sillim Hwaro (신림화로) is a good-value pork restaurant on Bongcheon-ro in Gwanak, Seoul, near Sillim Station. The pork belly was as tender as beef, and it went so well with the side dishes that my boyfriend and I had a really filling meal!!

Sillim Hwaro has a cozy vibe. The exterior is clean and modern, with warm lighting, so it was appealing even before we walked in.

Is the pork belly at Sillim Hwaro pre-grilled?

The biggest plus of Sillim Hwaro is that the meat comes pre-grilled (chobeol) and the staff cook it for you. As soon as we came in it felt friendly, with a spacious interior and kind staff welcoming us. Thanks to the grilling service we could relax and enjoy the meal, and the staff kept smiling the whole time, which put us in a good mood.

Not-so-secret bonus: pre-grilling cuts down the time at the grill~! The meat is already cooked before it hits the grill plate, so the smoky flavor soaks in and tastes even better. The pineapple and mushrooms they gave us were grilled well too, and eating them with the meat was honestly indescribable.

Sillim Hwaro menu and the pork belly

Besides popular cuts like pork belly and pork neck, Sillim Hwaro has several categories of dishes, so there's plenty to choose from. I heard it's famous for pork belly, so I ordered that, and there's a reason it's famous. It was as tender as beef, and the juices flowed out for a rich, savory depth!!

Tip. After the meal you also get a cold strawberry-milk watermelon hwachae (fruit punch), so you can finish on a sweet note!

Does Sillim Hwaro have lunch specials?

Sillim Hwaro also has reasonably priced lunch specials, so it's a must if you crave meat at lunchtime haha. There are various lunch special dishes at fair prices, so you can enjoy them without any pressure. Even if it isn't the main meat dishes, the lunch specials are foods people order a lot, so I think they'd be great when you're craving a home-cooked meal.

Side dishes and acorn jelly soup at Sillim Hwaro

After you order meat at Sillim Hwaro, they bring side dishes and dotori muk sabal (chilled acorn jelly soup) while you wait. The acorn jelly soup was refreshing and packed with acorn jelly, and it really woke up my appetite. The lettuce geotjeori (fresh-tossed salad) was crunchy, with seasoning that wasn't overdone, sweet and tangy, and great with the meat. Even the side dishes were so good that I couldn't help thinking, is there anything that isn't tasty here, boss...?

Bibim and mul naengmyeon with the meat

We have different tastes, so we ordered one bibim naengmyeon (spicy mixed cold noodles) and one mul naengmyeon (cold noodles in broth). The bibim was well seasoned and tasty, and the mul was sooo refreshing, just right with meat on a hot day like this! The noodles seem to come lightly seasoned already, so I didn't add any vinegar or mustard and it was still really good!!

Sillim Hwaro Naver review event

At the time of writing, Sillim Hwaro was running a Naver review event: you get one of three options, 100g of odol galbi (crunchy pork rib meat), 100g of pork skin, or ₩2,000 off. If you visit Sillim Hwaro, definitely join the review event and don't forget to take home some extra meat~

Is Sillim Hwaro good for a date?

The atmosphere at Sillim Hwaro is cozy and warm, so it was nice for a date with my boyfriend, and the meat quality was high too, so we had a hearty, satisfying meal! If you're looking for a pork belly place near Sillim Station, I recommend Sillim Hwaro, a good-value meat restaurant.